Mermaids and Kneazles and Werewolves, Oh My!
by aj721b
Summary: Delia was in her last year at Hogwarts and it was going to be a great one. The Triwizard Tournament was happening, there were cute Durmstrang boys to be kissed, and she had a great group of friends to cause mayhem with. But, when a certain someone returns, family secrets are unearthed that throw her world into a tailspin. Will she prevail, or will the pressure be too much?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N Hello! This is my second attempt at publishing this story. I posted it about a year ago and got pretty far with it, but wanted to switch it over to the third person because I had some really exciting ideas about where I wanted to take the story. So, if you read my first attempt, welcome back, and if not, welcome! Here's a quick chapter to start off.**

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Harry Potter

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September 1994

Cordelia Podmore hugged her grandparents goodbye before boarding the Hogwarts Express, waiting in all its crimson glory to take her to the castle for her final year of schooling. She pushed through the bustling crowd, cat carrier in hand, gently shoving aside the first years that had no idea where they were going. Finally, after getting knocked in the head with an owl cage and stepped on too many times to count, she found the compartment that housed her friends. After stepping over the threshold, a tall, thin girl with stick-straight black hair and brown almond shaped eyes bombarded her.

"Delia! I haven't seen you in so long!" The girl exclaimed, pulling her into a rib-crushing hug.

"Val! I missed you so much," Cordelia said in a strained voice. Valerie, Cordelia's best friend, released her from her death grip and returned to her seat. Cordelia and Valerie had met back in their first year, sitting together on the train silently, only making eye contact once or twice and forcing uncomfortable smiles. Then, upon their arrival, the two were both sorted into Ravenclaw, where they found they actually had a lot in common. At least, personality-wise. They were about as opposite as you could get when it came to looks. While Val was tall, dark, and thin, Cordelia was smaller, with dirty blonde waves that fell to her shoulders, deep blue eyes and freckles dotting her complexion.

Cordelia took her seat next to Val, opening her cat carrier to let her furry friend free and then storing the carrier under the bench. Shoes, her big, dopey cat, hopped up onto her lap. He was mostly orange with white feet, hence the name "Shoes." He followed Cordelia everywhere, winding around her feet as she walked and curling up at the end of her bed every night to sleep. John, Valerie's boyfriend, sat across from the two girls next to his friend Charlie. It was their usual crew, until a fifth face popped through the door.

"Mind if I sit here?" the girl asked. She was a Ravenclaw as well, a seventh year just like the rest of them. Cordelia remembered her name was Caroline. They never spoke much before, but Caroline was always nice, just a little shy.

"No, come on in," Val told her. Caroline entered the compartment, taking a seat with the girls silently.

"So… How were everyone's summers?" Cordelia asked after a moment of uncomfortable silence.

"Pretty boring, up until last week," John told them. "I managed to get tickets to the Quidditch World Cup!"

"That's amazing!" Cordelia gushed. "It was a great game, despite what happened afterwards…"

"It really was," John said. "I went with Charlie. We sat right under the commentator's box! We got lucky, though. Got out of there before the riots started."

"I was there, too," Catherine chimed in. "I was there with my family- my dad is a broomstick designer. He supplies the Bulgarians' with their brooms… We weren't so lucky, though. We had to flee after our tent caught fire. It was horrible. As soon as we got outside, there where people in masks parading around, levitating people above their heads and shooting curses every which way. I've never seen anything like it."

"That's awful," Val said quietly. "I'm sorry you had to go through that."

"It's ok," Catherine replied. "On a lighter note, what do you suppose this big, exciting event is going to be?" Over the summer, Hogwarts students received word that the school would be hosting some sort of event that year. They weren't told what it was, but on their supply lists, dress robes were required.

"Maybe Dumbledore is retiring, so he's throwing a grand ball in celebration," Val suggested.

"Is it some sort of anniversary?" Cordelia thought out loud. "How old is Hogwarts, anyway?"

"I dunno," John said. "I hope its some sort of Quidditch competition between the other wizarding schools. How cool would that be?" The rest of the train ride was spent bouncing ideas around, trying to think of something plausible. Then again, was anything that happened at Hogwarts _ever_ plausible?

The whistle sounded and the train jerked to a stop. Rain was pounding down, making the students pull their robes over their heads and run as fast as they could to the carts that would shuttle them to the Castle. Cordelia and her friends hurried inside, slipping and sliding over the stone floor as they magically sucked the rain out of their drenched robes. Finally dry, they took their seats at the Ravenclaw table, anxiously awaiting dinner and the announcement of whatever event was taking place. Once everyone was settled, Professor McGonagall ushered in the sopping wet first years. After each house gained a few students, Dumbledore stood to give his long awaited speech.

 _"_ _Well now that we're all settled in and sorted, I'd like to make an announcement. This castle will not only be your home this year but home to some very special guests as well. You see, Hogwarts has been chosen to host a legendary event: The Triwizard Tournament. The Tournament brings together three schools for a series of magical contests. From each school a single student is selected to compete. Now let me be clear. If chosen, you stand alone. And trust me when I say, these contest are not for the faint-hearted. But more of that later."_

Cordelia and Val glanced at each other, completely taken back by this news. John was grinning excitedly while Charlie, on the other hand, had paled slightly and looked horrified.

"It must be dangerous if we have to be of-age to enter," Catherine mused. "I remember reading about past tournaments- the challenges were barbaric. I hope it's at least a bit more humane this time around."

"I'm excited," Delia admitted. "I won't enter, but I think it'll be fun having the other schools come."

"You're excited for the other _boys_ to come," Val teased. "But, I agree. I think it'll be a nice change of pace."


	2. Chapter 2

The weeks following the news of the Tournament passed quickly. With it being NEWT year for Cordelia, she had no time to be bored with all the homework that had piled up. She had lost all track of time, so when Val and Catherine pulled her outside to watch the arrival of the other two schools, she was taken by surprise.

The students hurried down to the Black Lake to watch the Durmstrang ship dock. At first, everyone was confused. There was nothing in the water. But slowly, something broke through the surface of the lake. The eerie ship grew from the water, splashing about until finally, the entire thing was floating on top of the lake as a normal ship would. The students, both from Hogwarts and Durmstrang, cheered as they grew closer to the shore. Then, something could be seen flying towards them from a distance. With a great _woosh,_ a troop of breathtaking white horses towing blue carriages sped over their heads, landing gracefully on Hogwarts grounds a moment later.

"Everybody, inside for dinner!" Professor McGonagall called from the door of the castle. "Enough lollygagging. I'm sure our guests are very hungry and would like to eat on time!"

The students rushed inside, taking their seats at their respective tables and chattering excitedly about the arrival of the two other schools. Once all of the students and teachers were situated, the doors of the Great Hall burst open. First to enter were the Durmstrang students. Tailing the pack and causing quite the stir was Bulgarian seeker Viktor Krum. John stared shamelessly, completely in awe that one of his favorite Quidditch players had stepped foot into Hogwarts. Delia craned her neck to get a good look at them as they filled in the empty spots at the Slytherin table. She notified their uniform size- they were all very tall, very rugged, and very hairy. Most had long hair; some even with full beards that made it hard to believe they were only seventeen. She scanned the row of them, pausing on the boy sitting almost directly behind her. His harsh expression melted as they made eye contact, and he even gave her a small smile. She smiled back, blushing slightly, before turning back around to watch the Beauxbatons students enter. They were much more graceful, practically dancing through the hall and joining the Ravenclaw table.

After everyone was seated, Delia glanced over her shoulder again to get another look at the Durmstrang boy. Her heart fluttered when she noticed that he was already looking at her. The boy smiled again, broader this time, then moved as though to get up. Unfortunately, he didn't have the chance to before Dumbledore took the podium to welcome the two schools. Delia frowned slightly, turning her attention to the headmaster. He made his speech, and then waved his arms grandly, golden plates, platters, and goblets appearing on each of the tables as he did so.

This feast, along with the typical meat pies, roasts, and vegetables, featured French and Bulgarian cuisines. Delia passed on those, quite honestly frightened by the textures and colors. As desserts popped up along the tables, Dumbledore stood again to explain how the tournament would work.

 _"The Goblet of Fire!"_ he announced. " _Anyone wishing to submit themselves to the tournament need only write their name upon a piece of parchment and throw it in the flame before this hour on Thursday night. Do not do so lightly! If chosen, there's no turning back. As from this moment, The Triwizard Tournament has begun!"_

After the speech, students stood from their tables and rushed to the front of the hall to crowd the Goblet of Fire. It was literally a large, golden goblet, a blue flame emitting from the opening. Delia considered trying to get a good look at it, but opted not to as the crowd grew. She noticed the Durmstrang boy being dragged towards it by Viktor Krum and a few others. He gave her a distressed look before disappearing into the hoard.

"Already got you eye on someone, Delia?" Val asked with a wink.

Delia laughed, linking arms with her friend and starting towards Ravenclaw Tower. "Can't waste any time! Can you believe how handsome he was?"

"Merlin's pants, he was downright gorgeous!" Val swooned. "Of course, nowhere near as gorgeous as you, John." She planted a kiss on his cheek.

"Yeah, yeah," John groaned, rolling his eyes. "You know, that's Aleksander Zograf. The Bulgarian Keeper."

"Oh, Delia, he is a looker," Catherine grinned. "I met him at the World Cup. Seems very cold at first, he does, but he actually is very kind."

"He seemed very keen on you," Val declared. "He barely took his eyes off you the whole feast… I may have checked a few times.

"Really?" Cordelia asked hopefully. "Maybe I should've stayed back to talk to him." She stopped in the middle of the corridor.

"No, you did well. Now he'll be thinking about you until he sees you again," John explained. "A little hard to get is fun."

"I must've been a blast," Val joked. John had asked her out five times before she said yes. Even then she was skeptical. But finally, in their sixth year, after John being openly in love with her since they were twelve, she agreed to be his girlfriend.

The group stopped in front of the Raven knocker that guarded their common room. After answering a riddle, they collapsed in the armchairs by the fire, exhausted and full of wonderful food. They stayed up for a while, chatting about this and that, and finally made their way to bed.

The following day, classes resumed as normal, with the Durmstrang and Beauxbatons students mixed in. Cordelia hoped she would have at least one with Aleksander, so she made sure to take extra time getting ready that morning just in case. After a quick breakfast, she made her way down to the dungeons with Val and Charlie for Potions. They had this class with the Gryffindors, which worked to their advantage as Snape despised them. He tended to favour the Ravenclaws, allowing for more chatter while they worked and grading them less harshly.

"Do you have any extra sprigs of lavender? I'm nearly out." Val asked, placing her cauldron on her desk and pulling her book and ingredients out of her bag.

Cordelia bent down to search her bag. As she was doing so, she heard a chorus of gruff, heavily accented voices. She straightened back up with a handful of lavender, and was faced (to her delight) with Aleksander, along with a few other Durmstrangs. Taken by surprise, she shoved the lavender in Val's direction, but missed her open hand completely and dropped the buds all over the floor. She giggled as Cordelia scrambled to clean up the mess.

Aleksander smiled at the blonde, choosing a seat right in front of her. This was the closest Cordelia had been to him, so she took the opportunity to get a good look while he wasn't paying attention. He was built like an athlete, tall and solid. He was not graceful, however, which one would expect from a professional. His big, callused hands fumbled around the table, nearly sending every vial and bundle flying. He turned to speak to Viktor, allowing Delia to get a glimpse of his eyes. They were light brown with hints of yellow, and although his expression was cold and angry, his eyes were soft and inviting. They were hidden by thick, dark eyebrows and a few stray black curls that hung in his face. His cheeks and chin were covered with scruffy five o'clock shadow that made him look much older than seventeen. She had to pry her eyes away from him.

Throughout the lesson, Viktor and Aleksander muttered back and forth in Bulgarian, occasionally glancing back at the girls sitting behind them. Snape sauntered through the classroom, granting points to Ravenclaw and deducting from Gryffindor here and there. Cordelia and Val, being Ravenclaws, were one step ahead of the rest of the class. They were relaxing, waiting for their cauldrons to heat up to the correct temperature, when a very confused looking Aleksander turned to face them,a sprig of lavender in one hand and valerian root in the other.

"Please, could you tell me vich is vich?" he asked, his accent thick. "I cannot tell vat is 'lavender.'" His grip on the delicate plants was far too tight- he'd crushed the lavender, and it was crumbling all over the floor. He looked slightly embarrassed after noticing this, loosening his grip with a grimace.

Delia smiled, stifling a giggle at his goofy expression. "This one is lavender," she told him, pointing to the crumbled remains of the purple flower. "The other is valerian root."

"Thank you," he said gratefully before turning around and grabbing another handful of ingredients. "Now, vat are deez?"

Cordelia laughed, bottling her now-finished potion before patiently going through each ingredient with the boy. Charlie and Val left after finishing, leaving her alone with the Durmstrang. She helped him finish his potion, and when he finally got it bottled, Snape awarded him top marks.

"Thank you very much, er… Vat is your name?" Aleksander asked.

"Delia," she smiled warmly.

"Vell, you are very 'elpful, Delia," he said. "My name is Aleksander."

"So I've heard," she flirted. "You play Quidditch?" Delia shoved her potions book into her bag and stored her extra ingredients in her cauldron.

"I do," he grinned. "I am zee keeper. Here, let me take zat…" He grabbed the cauldron from Delia's two small hands with on of his. After they had all of their things packed, the headed out of the dungeon.

"I don't think you'll be too happy to hear I'm an Ireland fan," she teased, taking back her cauldron.

"I see," he mused, a mischievous smile playing at his lips. "Zen you would not like to go to Hogsmeade vith me this veekend?"

"That would be fraternizing with the enemy," Delia said, feigning disbelief at his suggestion. "But, I suppose I could make an exception… I'm known to be a bit of a rebel."

"Great, I will talk to you soon, then?" he asked, his thick accent suddenly dissipating.

"Hey, your English is perfect!" Delia exclaimed, a surprised smile on her face.

"I had to get you to talk to me somehow!" he retorted, running off to his next class. Delia laughed to herself, making her way to Herbology to tell Val and Catherine about it.

Cordelia reached the greenhouses and took her spot between Catherine and Val. Professor Sprout was at the front of the room, sending goggles and gloves down the rows of students. Once everyone had a pair, she disappeared into another greenhouse, coming back a moment later with a plant in her hands.

"This beauty is called an Octopalm," she said, holding up the strange plant for everyone to see. It had a short trunk that was similar to a regular palm tree, but instead of normal, green leaves, eight tentacles protruded from the top. They were bluish purple, wriggling about, and filled the room with the scent of low tide. "When they have all eight tentacles, they are mature enough to be repotted, which is what we will be doing today. The ink they secrete is an important part of many potions and the tentacles are considered a delicacy in mermaid communities. Have you ever come across one of these, Miss Podmore?" The class turned their attention to Delia and her face reddened.

"Er, yes," she said. "The mermaids use them in a lot of trades- they give us Octopalms for potion ingredients they can't farm themselves, like mandrake root and wolfsbane."

Professor Sprout grinned at her answer. "Excellent, Miss Podmore. You know, it was your father who got these palms for us," the woman told her. "So, these guys need to be farmed underwater until they are mature, and then can survive in very, very humid climates…"

"Your father works with mermaids?" Catherine whispered to Delia as Professor Sprout went on about the traits of the plant.

Delia nodded. "He basically trades wizarding goods for mermaid goods. You'd be surprised at the amount of potion ingredients come from the mermaids."

"So he speaks Mermish?" Catherine asked. "Do you ever get to go with him?"

"Yeah, more when I was younger. He taught me some Mermish so that I could possibly do that as a profession after Hogwarts, but I'm more interested in wandlore," she explained. "He thought it would be a good idea because I've gained their trust already, which is hard to do. They're really amazing, but very moody. Some days they love my dad and others… Well, he's been chased out of the water by Grindylows more than he'd like to admit."

"That's amazing," Catherine said, in awe. Their attention was then turned to the Octopalms Professor Sprout was sending down the tables. Val frowned at the fishy smell they were giving off before pulling on her gloves and goggles. The three got to work, narrowly missing getting sprayed with ink four separate times. They finally managed to repot the repulsive plant, but unfortunately had to go through the rest of their classes smelling like low tide. Delia took a quick shower before dinner and followed her friends down to the Great Hall, where they would finally find out who the Triwizard Champions would be.

Delia, Val, Catherine, John, and Charlie all sat at the Ravenclaw table, chattering about who they hoped would be picked as the Hogwarts Champion. They were shushed minutes later when Dumbledore stood at the front of the hall, his hands raised to get everyone's attention. "Good evening students," he called. "Tonight, I'm sure as you all know, is the night we've all been waiting for. Tonight, we will find our Triwizard Champions!"

The students cheered loudly in response, but quieted back down as soon as Dumbledore gestured to the Goblet of Fire, which was burning ominously next to him. "For our Durmstrang champion," he said, and a piece of parchment flew out of the flames. "Viktor Krum!" The Durmstrang boys erupted, and Viktor made his way to the front of the Hall, shaking Dumbledore's hand before being lead to the trophy room by Igor Karkaroff. "For the Beauxbatons champion… Miss Fleur Delacour!" The Beauxbatons applause was much more delicate, but still just as excited. "And finally, our Hogwarts champion… Cedric Diggory!" The entire school burst into applause, many Hufflepuffs standing and patting Cedric on the back as he made his way to the front of the room just behind Fleur. The two were ushered into the back and just as Dumbledore began explaining the rules of the Tournament to the rest of the students, the flame burned blue, denoting another champion would be chosen. The hall was filled with murmurs as Dumbledore plucked the parchment out of the air and stared at the scrawl on it.

"Harry Potter?" It sounded more like a question than a statement as it came out of the old wizard's mouth. "Harry Potter!" After a slight pause, the fourth year stood shakily, and walked in silence past Dumbledore and into the trophy room. Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Snape all hurried after him, and the panicked voices rose once again.

"But he's only a fourth year," Val said. "There's no way he could've gotten past the age charms. The Weasley twins nearly got themselves blown up!"

"Do you think someone did it on purpose, without him knowing? To set him up for failure? A lot of people _do_ want him dead," Catherine suggested.

Cordelia nodded thoughtfully. "Maybe. He is a bit of a rebel, though. He saved us from You-Know-Who when he was eleven and whatever that thing in the Chamber of Secrets was when he was twelve. He deserves to be a champion."

"Very true," John agreed. "That kid is a very powerful wizard. But even if he wasn't, he's trapped in the tournament. The Goblet's choice is binding." There was a grave silence as the students watched as Dumbledore burst from trophy room, walking hurriedly out of the Great Hall. It seemed that everyone realized the severity of the situation all at once.

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A/N Things are starting to get going! The italicized parts are direct quotes from the Goblet of Fire. Feels wrong trying to paraphrase when writing a canon story!


	3. Chapter 3

Cordelia, Val, and Catherine were all sitting in the Ravenclaw common room, chatting around the fire that Friday evening. They were attempting to work on homework, which they had been swamped with since it was NEWT year, when John and Charlie entered through the wooden door and plopped down on the couches with the girls.

"So, tomorrow is the first Hogsmeade trip," John started, giving Cordelia a knowing glance. "Any chance you'll be meeting with Mr. Zograf, Cor? It seems he's taken quite the liking to you; even faked being bad at potions to talk to you."

"How'd you know about that?" Cordelia asked incredulously. "I didn't even remember to tell the girls about that!" Val and Catherine looked at her, wide eyed with surprise. "I completely forgot. There's been so much other news this week."

"Well, first of all, I know everything there is to know about him and Krum. Zograf is top of his class! It's obvious he was faking," John stated matter-of-factly. "But, I also heard him telling one of his friends about it in my Arithmancy class."

Delia laughed. "We do have plans, actually. He asked me to Hogsmeade."

"That's so cute!" Val gushed. "I knew something was up in potions. Him and Krum kept talking to each other in Bulgarian and then they would glance back at you. Seemed a little strange, but now it makes sense."

"I can't wait to hear about your date," Catherine grinned. "Do you have any idea what you'll be doing?"

Cordelia shrugged as Shoes jumped into her lap, curling up and purring loudly as she scratched his head. "No, not yet. I'm a little nervous, actually. I imagine the dating scene is a little different in Bulgaria."

"What, do you think he's gonna take you out to the Forbidden Forest and make you fight off werewolves with your bare hands?" John joked. Cordelia rolled her eyes.

"I just meant they probably have different customs there," she explained. "Besides, the next full moon isn't for a few weeks. There would be no werewolves to fight."

The next morning, Cordelia woke earlier than usual. She got ready excitedly, and with plenty of pep in her step, joined her friends for breakfast in the Great Hall. They all ate quickly, too eager to get to Hogsmeade to take their time. The group made their way out to the Entrance Courtyard while Cordelia waited in the hall to meet Aleksander. Though she didn't have to wait at all, as he was already standing by the door chatting with Viktor Krum. Cordelia smiled shyly as they locked eyes. Aleksander grinned broadly, clapping a hand on Krum's shoulder before hurrying over to Delia. He took her hand and bowed slightly as he reached her.

"Good morning," he said, keeping hold of her hand lightly as he straightened back up.

"Good morning to you too," she replied with a grin. "Were you waiting for me long?"

"I was, but that is my own fault. I did not want to be late, so I showed up a half hour early." He grinned sheepishly. "Shall we?" Aleksander extended his free hand towards the doors of the Entrance Hall. Delia nodded excitedly, blushing as he led her outside.

It was a cold, cloudy day, and it looked like it was about to rain at any moment. The wind blew ominously, sending a shiver down Cordelia's spine as the pair checked out with Filch. After he cleared them, they hurried down to the little picturesque village.

"I was told by many people to go to the tea shop, if you would like that. Then, I was hoping we could go to Honeydukes… I love sweets." Aleksander looked nervous as he suggested his plan to Cordelia.

"That sounds perfect," she replied warmly. The thought of Aleksander asking others where to take her on their date made her stomach flip. Delia led the way to the shop, picking a table that was the farthest away from the other couples on dates. The entire shop was a pink, plush cavern. There were small, round tables with frilly tablecloths, floral teacups, and lacey curtains on each window. The dainty seats were covered in pink velvet cushions and each table had a rose scented candle floating above it. The overall effect was slightly overwhelming.

Cordelia couldn't help but notice how out of place Aleksander looked in the tiny chair. Scruffy, muscular, and wearing all black, he couldn't have stuck out more. He looked pleased, though, so she opted not to comment.

"What's Durmstrang like?" Cordelia asked after an elderly woman took their orders.

"Nothing like Hogwarts. There are no candles, paintings, statues… Nothing. We barely even use the fireplaces. It is very dark and cold. We do have many acres of land, though, and the view is beautiful. Lots of snow," he told her. "I do not see many girls like you there. The women there are very tall and broad. And the yellow hair… That is something I do not see often."

Cordelia giggled. "You like my yellow hair?"

"I do, it is a nice contrast," he grinned. "Vat is it like where you are from?"

"Well, I live in a little ocean town in Yorkshire with my grandparents. I spend my summers with my dad, though. He lives in Massachusetts."

"Gesundheit," Aleksander said.

"No, it's a place!" she exclaimed. "It's in the United States. I want to move there eventually." She took a sip of the steaming hot tea the old woman placed in front of her. "It's a beautiful place. My dad lives right by the beach and you get to really experience every season. It's not rainy this time of year- it's sunny and cozy and the leaves turn amazing colors. I can't wait to go back."

"What is your dad like?" Aleksander asked before taking a sip of his latte. He was left with a whipped cream mustache, which Delia giggled at. He blushed slightly as he wiped it off.

"He's great. He does business with mermaids. He taught me how to speak to them when I was younger," Cordelia told him. "What about you, what's your family like?"

"I have a younger brother and sister. My sister… She is not magical, and she gets very upset about it. I try to make her feel better by bringing her magical games and toys, and it works. Most of the time, at least. My brother plays Quiditch. He always says he wants to be a professional someday, like me," Aleksander said, a proud grin on his face. "My mother stays home with them and my father travels with me for my matches. They all come for my big ones, though. I would like for you to come to one. And your dad, if he would enjoy it."

"Oh, wow, he would love that! I would love it," Cordelia exclaimed, slightly taken aback by the sincerity of his invitation. They finished their drinks, chatting for another forty-five minutes or so before getting kicked out by Madame Puddifoot herself to make room for paying customers. The two left the shop, laughing as they hurried through the freezing rain to get to Honeydukes.

"This is the most amazing place I have ever been in my entire life," Aleksander said in awe as the two stepped into the shop. He gazed around the bustling shop, his eyes wide and his jaw hanging open. "I do now know where to start."

"We have plenty of time," Cordelia told him. "Let's start in the back and make our way up." Aleksander grabbed her hand and pulled her excitedly further into the shop. They finally stopped in the back corner, where he filled a rather large bag with licorice wands.

Nearly an hour later, the two paid, Aleksander spending an exorbitant amount of money. The now sat in the Three Broomsticks in front of the fire, testing out the sweets they had just bought.

"Try this," Aleksander said to Delia, not giving her a chance to decline before shoving a Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Bean into her mouth. She cringed, spitting out the grass-flavored bean.

"If you don't stop that, I'll tell all of your tough Quidditch friends how much you loved Madame Puddifoot's," Delia jokingly threatened.

"Ok, ok, I'll stop!" he laughed. "You just look very cute when you are disgusted… You look very cute all of the time, though."

Cordelia's cheeks burned at the compliment. "Thank you," she smiled. "I would say the same about you, you know, if I could," she teased.

"Do not be mean to me. I will force feed you more of these terrible things." He threw a handful of jellybeans at her. "Besides, I would much rather be rugged or sexy than _cute_."

"Well, that's a shame, because you really are adorable," Delia laughed. "You nearly passed out from excitement in Honeydukes, you loved Madame Puddifoot's, you're so sweet to your siblings… Hate to break it to you, but you're cute."

"Yes, but I also broke my nose three times in one Quidditch match and did not let in one single goal! That's why it is crooked- my nose. The Mediwitch reset it the first two times, but the third time, she could not get it all the way back to normal," he explained, pointing to his nose. "Also, I can grow a very nice, thick beard in a week."

"Ok, fine. You're cute, but still very rugged and sexy. Happy?" Cordelia compromised.

"Yes, very," he grinned proudly. "So, you think I am sexy?"

Cordelia threw a licorice wand at him, laughing. He caught it and promptly ate it. "I had a lot of fun today," she said earnestly.

"Me too," he replied, reaching out to grab her hand. "I just wish we did not have to turn in so early."

"I know," Delia sighed. "And the next Hogsmeade weekend isn't for another month."

"That's ok, we can find other things to do. I have many ideas." He ginned at her excitedly, giving her hand a little squeeze. Aleksander's were much bigger than hers, rough and callused from Quidditch. Delia's stomach fluttered and she gave a small, surprised laugh.

"What?" he asked, wondering what she was laughing about.

"Nothing… I just haven't really felt like this in a long time," she answered. The last time Cordelia had a crush, she was in her fourth year. The boy was named Michael- he played Quidditch for Ravenclaw, was top of his class, and was two years ahead of her. He never even knew she existed.

"Me neither," Aleksander said. "There are no girls in Durmstrang, so it is hard to meet people. And when I do, they are not usually very friendly."

"Aren't there Veela around there?" Cordelia asked. "They're gorgeous."

"Well, yes, but you do not want to get too close to them. They are crazy and will set you on fire if you bring them the wrong flowers," he said with a shudder, as if a bad memory had surfaced. He rolled up his sleeve. "This scar is from accidentally spilling my butterbeer on a Veela." There was a nasty burn mark covering most of his forearm. Cordelia's eyes widened in shock.

"So I guess I'd never have to worry about you running off with one of them," she joked. He fixed his sleeve, looking deeply into her blue eyes.

"Of course not," he said sincerely. "I know that we have only just met, but I think there is something very special about you."

"I just hope you still think so when you really get to know me," Delia laughed.

"Please do not tell me you are a werewolf!"

"No, no, you don't have to worry about that!" she assured him. The two slowly sipped their butterbeers, trying to prolong the visit as long as possible. They reluctantly made their way back to the castle after they finished, hurrying through the icy downpour. Once inside, they dried themselves and slowly walked up to Ravenclaw Tower.

"Thanks for taking me out," Cordelia told Aleksander as they reached the eagle knocker.

"Thank you for showing me around," he told her with a soft smile. Delia turned to leave, but before she reached the door, Aleksander grabbed her hand, spun her around, and planted a passionate kiss on her lips. "Goodnight," he said as they broke apart, squeezing her hands one last time before heading back to the Durmstrang ship.

* * *

A/N I have a lot of fun writing these two together. I'm not a romantic person, so I don't usually write romantic characters, but it felt necessary with this couple! Hope I did alright :)


	4. Chapter 4

When Monday came around, the weather was uncharacteristically nice. There was a chill in the air, but the sun was shining and a cloud could not be seen. Cordelia woke earlier than her friends, dressing and heading down to breakfast before the rest of them. She had just reached the doors of the Great Hall when she heard a large, ungraceful pair of feet hurrying towards here.

"Delia!" Aleksander called from behind her. He put a hand on the small of her back when he reached her.

"Good morning," Cordelia greeted him warmly. The two walked into the Great Hall, Aleksander opting to sit next to her rather than his usual spot at the Slytherin table. Delia could see a few Slytherin girls glaring at her out of the corner of her eye. She gave a small, smug smile.

"You look beautiful today," Aleksander grinned. "Would you like to do our potions homework together tonight? It would be nice to have you around to keep me from going insane."

"Definitely," Delia responded. "We can meet in the library at seven?"

Aleksander nodded in agreement, his mouth too stuffed with toast to answer her. They finished eating, Aleksander giving Delia a quick kiss on the cheek before leaving for his Care of Magical Creatures class. Delia waited for her friends to arrive before making her way to Ancient Runes.

The day had gone by fast because of the amount of work the professors were handing out. By the time Aleksander arrived at the library, Delia had already been there for two hours. She could be found at a small table in the back, hidden behind a tall bookshelf. She'd meant to move, but had gotten caught up in her work. When he reached her table, Cordelia looked up from her Defense Against the Dark Arts homework, relieved to have a distraction. She pushed her books away to clear a spot next to her.

"I'm glad you found me. I meant to move," she told him, closing her DADA book and taking out Potions.

"That's ok, it's nice and quiet back here. The front is packed with people," he responded, settling himself in. "So… We need to write 15 inches on the effects of Amortentia and how to detect it." That day's Potions lesson had been surprisingly interesting as Snape had the class brew Amortentia, the most powerful love potion in existence. He made the students perform bubblehead charms on themselves as to not get too intoxicated by the smells, but they all snuck a sniff before passing it in.

"What did yours smell like?" Cordelia asked.

"Broom wax, red licorice, and something like… coconut, maybe," he told her, sniffing the air as if it was still lingering. "What did yours smell like?"

"Macintosh apples, campfire smoke, and lavender," Cordelia said. "I understand the apples and campfires, but I'm not sure why lavender. I think it smells nice, but it's not my favorite…" Aleksander grinned at her excitedly. "What?"

"Remember, the first time we spoke? I crushed lavender all over your desk."

Cordelia laughed. "Maybe that's it!" They then started their essays, every once in a while Cordelia noticing Aleksander looking over at her. Every time she asked what he was looking at, he would respond, "You."

By eight o'clock, they had finished their essays. The library was much quieter at this point since many of the younger students had retired to their common rooms. Cordelia rolled up her piece of parchment, smiling proudly at the work they had managed to get done.

"I think we did pretty well," she said, holding up her hand for a high five.

"I think so too," Aleksander agreed, high fiving her and stealing a quick kiss. "It was much nicer having you as a distraction instead of Viktor." Cordelia smiled and kissed him again, longer and slower. Aleksander stopped, pulling her into his lap before continuing. Delia ran a hand through his hair and he squeezed her tighter. Before long, someone loudly cleared their throat. Cordelia jumped up, finding Madame Pince standing at the end of their table. She was red in the face and pointing angrily toward the exit.

"OUT!" she yelled, and the two scrambled to get their books together and rush out of the library, laughing hysterically as they went. Once they were far enough away from the scene of the crime, they stopped to catch their breath.

"So, I will be avoiding the library for a while," Aleksander huffed.

"That's ok, we'll find other places to study," Cordelia told him, moving closer and putting her arms around his neck. They kissed again, Aleksander's hands exploring her body. After a minute or so, he pulled away, checking his watch. "We should be heading back. I do not want to get you into any real trouble," he said reluctantly.

Cordelia sighed, but agreed with him. They walked back to Ravenclaw Tower, Aleksander holding her hand, and shared a quick kiss before parting ways. Delia smiled to herself as she entered the common room, wondering how she'd explain to her friends why she could no longer join them in the library.

The next few weeks were a blur of homework and Triwizard buzz. The first task passed without too much turmoil, and to everyone's surprise, Harry Potter did impressively well. A week of so after, Professor Flitwick informed the Ravenclaws that Hogwarts would be hosting a ball on Christmas Eve in honor of the tournament for everyone year four and above. He told the students to be on their best behavior ("at least when the adults are looking," he added with a wink) as they were representing the Ravenclaw house. Then, with great difficulty as he was a rather small man, he taught the students a waltz that they would all be partaking in to start off the night. The following weekend was a Hogsmeade weekend, so Catherine, Val, and Cordelia took advantage and went to Gladrags to pick out dresses.

It was a very stormy day, so not very many people decided to go out. This meant the shop was nearly empty. The girls searched through the many racks until they each found something, then were fitted by the shop owner.

"My younger sister told me she's going with a boy named Dean Thomas in her year. He's a Gryffindor, too," Val told the girls as the shop owner pointed his wand at the gown, pins appearing around her waist. Val's sister was a Gryffindor fourth year. She was the opposite of Val in personality, but in looks, the two were nearly identical.

"I think Charlie might ask me," Catherine mused, smiling at the thought. "I'm surprised there aren't more people here." She changed the subject quickly, not comfortable talking about her love life.

"A lot of people brought dress robes. It said to in the letter this year," Val explained.

"I didn't have any that still fit, so my grandparents sent along some money for me to buy some," Cordelia said.

"That's what my parents did," Val added. The shop owner waved his wand and the pins disappeared, the dress shrinking and stretching to fit Val's body until it looked perfect.

"You girls came at a good time," the mousy man said when, fixing his glasses. "This place will be swamped come next Hogsmeade trip. The younger ones tend to procrastinate… Hope nobody is left without something to wear!"

The girls got their dresses fitted, then hurried back to Hogwarts through the rapidly worsening snowfall. They went straight back to the common room, longing for a hot fire and cozy blankets. When Cordelia went to the girls' dormitory to drop her dress off, she found Shoes asleep on an envelope on her bed. She pulled it out from underneath him without waking him up, tearing it open excitedly.

 _Meet me in classroom 10 at 8 p.m. tonight._

 _Aleksander_

She smiled at the note before checking her watch. It was ten of, so Delia quickly fixed her hair and makeup before running down to classroom ten.

When she arrived, Cordelia checked the hall to make sure nobody was coming, then snuck into the classroom and shut the door quietly. Aleksander was sitting at the front of the room, sitting atop the unused teacher's desk. He had a bouquet of roses in his hand and was grinning broadly at Delia.

"You found the note in time!" he exclaimed happily. "I gave it to John to give to a girl in your year while you were in Hogsmeade." Delia walked over to him, hopping up onto the desk and taking a seat next to him. Aleksander kissed her excitedly before handing her the roses.

"What's all this for?" she asked inquisitively.

"Well, I wanted to officially ask you to the Yule Ball," he said to her, taking her free hand. "Will you be my date?"

"Of course," Cordelia laughed. "These are beautiful, thank you."

"I wanted to get you lavender, but the only place I could find that was the apothecary. They did not have nice, fresh lavender- only the dried out stuff," he explained. "I also wanted to ask you… Is it ok if I tell people you are my girlfriend? I know we have not known each other very long, but there is something… Something about you."

His thoughtfulness made her smile. She nodded. "I would like that."

He smiled before kissing her again, more passionately this time. They stayed in that classroom until ten minutes before curfew, then Cordelia reluctantly returned to Ravenclaw Tower, flowers in hand and dizzy from excitement. Back in the dorm, she enlarged an empty ingredient jar into a vase and placed the flowers inside. She grinned at them fondly, picturing just how amazing the Yule Ball would be.


	5. Chapter 5

The weeks leading up to Christmas dragged by. The weather was generally stormy, and when the holidays finally rolled around, there was a nice coating of snow. The Great Hall had been adorned with twelve Christmas trees, each decked out with even more beautiful trinkets and baubles than the last. Delia and Val were sitting in the Great Hall, speculating at how many people opted to stay this year and admiring the décor when John burst in, looking frantic. He gestured for the girls to follow him, so Cordelia grabbed some toast and ran after him, Val on her tail.

"You'll never guess what I've gotten ahold of!" he blurted out when they were out of the hall.

"The Lost Diadem," Val said sarcastically.

"A unicorn fawn," Delia suggested.

"No," he rolled his eyes. They had reached he common room door. The eagle recited a riddle and the group thought it over, John's excitement making it difficult for him to concentrate. They finally got it, and John sprinted through the door.

"I got firewhiskey!" he shouted, pointing at the huge bottles on the table. "And mead, and wine, and butterbeer. I figured we could throw a little after party tomorrow night."

Delia grinned. "Merry Christmas to us! How'd you get all this?"

"Let's just say the Weasley twins owed me big time. No idea how they pulled it off, but they did it!" John was grinning from ear to ear.

"The Weasley twins? Have you checked to make sure they haven't tricked you?" Val asked skeptically, surveying the bottles.

"Yeah, of course. Anyway, they wouldn't dare try and trick me," he said vaguely. "We're in for a fun night!" Val grimaced, slightly uncertain. "Don't worry, we won't get in any trouble. You know Flitwick- he'll be drunk as a skunk before the ball even starts. I'm sure he'll be passed out by the end of the night," John reassured her.

"Just don't go trying to sneak that into he Great Hall," she warned. "Does Aleksander know?"

"Of course," John told her. "He gave me the idea. I waited to tell you guys until after because I was afraid you would disapprove.

"When have I ever been known to disapprove of alcohol?" Delia asked. Val laughed and John shrugged.

"I'm gonna talk to the other Ravenclaws. Let them know what's happening tomorrow night." John ran away towards the boys' dormitory.

Val shook her head incredulously. "I can't believe he managed to get this much!" She picked up a bottle of firewhiskey, which was significantly bigger than her head.

"I'm sure none will go to waste," Delia smirked.

The morning of the Yule Ball finally arrived. Catherine, Val and Cordelia joined the boys at breakfast, barely able to eat from excitement. Word had spread quickly about John's after party, and the Ravenclaws were buzzing enthusiastically. Aleksander joined the group, sitting down next to Delia and kissing her on the cheek.

"I am very excited about tonight," he grinned. "I cannot wait to see you all dressed up."

"Did you hear?" she asked. "John got a bunch of booze for after the ball. We're having a party in the common room!"

"I am finally going to get to see it!" Aleksander's face lit up. "I cannot believe he managed that…"

The Great Hall filled up quickly, everyone jittery with excitement. It was louder than usual, despite half of the school being home for the holidays, but everyone- including professors- was in a particularly good mood. Professor Flitwick greeted the Ravenclaws, handing them each a little goody bag of Christmas treats.

They stayed in the Great Hall for a few hours, chatting and playing games until it was time for the girls to start getting ready. They headed back up to the dorm, leaving the boys to do what they pleased. Cordelia started on her hair, flicking her wand and poking at her hair until it settled itself into a loose, curly bun. She did her makeup next, with sultry golden eyes and dark lipstick. Last was to get dressed. She pulled her dress, which was dark, dark blue. The top had a low v-neck and spaghetti straps, and the dress was fitted through the waist and flowed out at the bottom. Starting at her knees, there were sparkles that grew heavier until they reached the bottom of the dress. They were bewitched to twinkle even when there was no light hitting them. Delia turned to look at the other girls, who were also finished getting ready. Val had her long, dark hair in a tight, high ponytail. Her dress was emerald green silk with a high neck and a slit down the side. Catherine had her auburn hair curled and pulled half back. Her dress was pale pink with ruffles starting at the waist, a pearl necklace draped around her neck.

"I think we look pretty good," Delia grinned.

"Definitely," Catherine smiled. "Should we head down to the common room?"

Val checked the time and nodded, her shiny dark ponytail bouncing as she did so. "We probably should have gone down a few minutes ago, but that's ok. We're still on time."

The three walked down the stairs and were greeted by Jack and Charlie, who gasped and grinned broadly when he caught sight of Catherine. Cordelia giggled, hoping he didn't notice she saw. He took her hand.

"You l-look stunning," he stuttered, blushing a deep shade of red. John, on the other hand, was standing back, admiring Val, shouting things like, "Oh, Merlin! How did I get so lucky?"

The group headed down to the Entrance Hall, which was bustling with students searching for their dates before the doors opened. Cordelia scanned the crowd for Aleksander from the top of the stairs, talking to a few of his friends from Durmstrang. One pointed up the stairs, making Aleksander turn around. They locked eyes and Cordelia blushed- she couldn't help but notice he was looking at her the way he looked at the sweets in Honeydukes. She laughed as he forced his way through the crowd to reach her, meeting him halfway down the stairs. Aleksander grabbed her hands and took a step back, taking it all in.

"You look perfect," he told her breathlessly. "Absolutely beautiful."

Cordelia stepped closer and kissed him lightly. "You look very handsome yourself," she mused. He was wearing the same thing as the other Durmstrang students- a regal, red suit reminiscent of a military uniform. Though he was dressed the same as the others, Delia though he looked better than the rest. His dark hair was combed into place but still looked effortlessly sexy, and he had left a little five o'clock shadow on his face because Delia had mentioned how much she liked it. He held out a hand for her to grab, and then led his date down the stairs and through the now open doors to the Great Hall.

The place looked magnificent. The four long house tables had been replaced with lots of little round tables covered with white tablecloths and ice sculptures. The ceiling had been enchanted to make it look like it was snowing. The giant Christmas trees had been decorated extravagantly with silver and gold tinsel and ornate trinkets and ornaments. It was a winter wonderland. Cordelia and Aleksander found the table their friends were sitting at and joined them, chatting excitedly about the events about to take pace. Slowly, the hall filled up, and the students were asked to stand to welcome the Triwizard Champions.

"Who did Viktor take?" Cordelia asked as they were told to take their seats once again.

"I do not know… you know, I meant to look, but if we are being very honest, I could not take my eyes off of your behind," he teased quietly in her ear. Delia's stomach fluttered and she grinned at him slyly. She meant to make a retort, but was interrupted by Dumbledore making a speech about how lovely the night was going to be. Shortly after dinner, the Weird Sisters took the stage and Aleksander pulled Cordelia enthusiastically out onto the dance floor. They spent the rest of the evening there in each others arms, trying not to think about how the school year was already halfway over.

After the last song played, the group reluctantly headed back up to Ravenclaw Tower. Aleksander and Cordelia lagged behind, hoping to go unnoticed by the rest of the group. They took a detour and quietly snuck into an unlocked, unoccupied classroom. Delia closed the door and locked it behind them for good measure. Aleksander slowly walked to the front of the classroom, leaning back on the edge of the teacher's desk.

"I cannot believe it is already Christmas Eve," he sighed.

"Me neither," Cordelia agreed, taking a seat next to him on the desk. "We still have a whole semester left, though."

"But what about after that?" he asked sadly.

"Well, I dunno… I haven't really thought about it," she said with a frown. "You'll be off travelling the world, playing Quidditch… I'll be starting training under Ollivander."

Aleksander was quiet for a moment, his face set in a thoughtful expression. "Come with me."

"What?"

"Come with me. I love you, Delia. Travel the world with me. We can meet famous wandmakers on the way and you can learn your craft with me." He gave her a pleading look. Cordelia's jaw dropped.

"I don't have that kind of money, I can't just drop everything and leave!" she told him incredulously. The idea was tempting, but she couldn't imagine how her grandparents and father would feel.

"I have plenty. Do not worry about that. I am a professional athlete. After you see your dad this summer, come with me." He took her hands. She smiled, overwhelmed yet ecstatic at the offer.

"I…I'll think about it," she finally told him.

"That is enough for me." He kissed her passionately.

"I love you too," she told him. She was positive about that.

They left the classroom before long, afraid to run into Snape and Karkaroff, who had been patrolling the halls to make sure no students were breaking any rules. When they finally arrived in the common room, the party was already in full swing. The room was totally packed. People from every house and school had come, raising their glasses to the Tournament and teaching each other their favorite drinking games and songs. In the middle of the room, the Weasley twins were playing a game of alcoholic Exploding Snap with some other Gryffindors. Cedric Diggory and Cho Chang were arguing by the fireplace. The Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff Quidditch teams were playing an intense game of mini Quidditch with tiny bewitched models of the Irish and Bulgarian teams.

"This is so nice. Nothing like this happens at my school," Aleksander pronounced, grinning from ear to ear. John came over and handed each of them a drink.

"Who'd've thought that the nerdy house would throw the best party?" John asked, smiling proudly.

"Certainly not me," George Weasley called to him. "I'm surprised you actually managed to pull this one off!"

"Yeah, well, thanks for the help, guys," John called back over the music. "You should do me favors more often!"

Cordelia took a swig of the cinnamon flavored liquor and her throat nearly burst into flames. She grimaced and forced another sip. It was not her favorite, but it got the job done. Aleksander, on the other hand, drank the stuff like water.

"Delicious," he licked his lips before refilling his cup. "I cannot believe you do not like this. It is like candy compared to the stuff we drink in Bulgaria. Now, that will put some hair on your chest."

"Yeah, well. I'm pretty happy with my hairless chest," Cordelia joked, taking another gulp.

"Me too," Aleksander said with a smirk. "Do not make yourself sick, though, slow down!"

"Are you kidding me? We have to catch up! They all got a head start while we were still downstairs!" Cordelia argued.

"Very true. I will drink to that." He took another very large sip.

A few hours later, the party had died down, but everyone had a buzz. Cordelia was sitting with her back against the wall, Aleksander lying with his head in her lap. Most of the other houses had left, leaving the Ravenclaws with Aleksander and a few Hufflepuffs (those guys could go all night). The remaining students were all sitting in a circle on the ground, still dressed to the nines, reminiscing about their past school careers.

"I'm so happy I got so close to you guys this year," Catherine sighed, leaning her head on Charlie's shoulder. Her cheeks were very, very pink. "I really feel like I can be myself around you. I've never had friends like this!"

"I wish we'd gotten to know you better sooner," Cordelia told her, her words slurring. "I wish we had more time to just… just be here. I don't want to be done with school yet." She ran her fingers through Aleksander's hair.

Val nodded heavily. "You're telling me. I'm terrified to start my Auror training."

"You'll do great," John reassured her, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. "I can't wait to play with dragons. They're such beautiful creatures…" His eyes glazed over, presumably because he was imagining what it would be like to work with the creatures. John was extremely passionate about Magizoology. It had been his dream since he started at Hogwarts to work with dragons, and he was lucky enough to be able to follow that dream.

The conversation turned to the final task, and Aleksander glanced up at Cordelia. "Let's go," she mouthed to him. He smiled excitedly as they snuck off to the dormitory. It would be hours before anyone would go to bed- if they even would. Delia shut the door quietly and stood next to her bed. Aleksander walked over to her, placing one hand on her lower back and one under her chin.

"Tonight," he said quietly, kissing her softly, "was amazing."

"It's about to get even better," she told him mischievously. "I love you."

"I love you, too," he responded, kissing her again, more intensely. She pulled him closer by his jacket collar while he fumbled with the buttons on the back of her dress. After he finally got them undone, he very carefully pulled off the gown and set it on another bed. "It is a very beautiful dress… I do not want to ruin it," he explained when he noticed Cordelia watching him quizzically. "Now, where were we…" He pulled off his jacket much less carefully and tossed it to the floor between messy kisses. Soon enough, the rest of his clothes were in a pile and Delia was being lifted up and put onto the dresser next to her bed. She bit his lip lightly and he stifled a moan.

"Are you ready?" I asked.

He nodded. "Are you?"

Cordelia whispered back, "yes."

A while later, the couple snuck back down to the common room as quietly as possible, but everyone had noticed their absence. Except for Catherine, at least- she was fast asleep in Charlie's lap. Not for long, though, because as soon as the two stepped back into the common room, everyone started applauding.

"Well, well, well," John smirked. "Where have you two been?" Cordelia covered her face with her hands to hide her burning cheeks. Aleksander, on the other hand, grinned proudly.

"Our turn," Val declared, marching determinedly to the dorm. John stayed on the ground, staring at her open-mouthed. "Unless of course you don't want to?"

He scrambled to his feet, nearly tripping on his way after her.

* * *

A/N Things are gettin' steamy! Ravenclaws know how to party too ;)


	6. Chapter 6

The rest of the school year flew by, the students flooded with homework and distracted by the anticipation of the final task. Cordelia couldn't help but feel it came too quickly, not ready to leave her friends and Aleksander and enter into the real world. She had decided she was going to travel with him, but only this once. Then, in the fall, Professor Flitwick helped her make arrangements to train under Mr. Ollivander.

The night of the final task, the students made their way down to the Quidditch Pitch, which had been transformed into a mammoth maze of shrubs. Cordelia, Val, Catherine, John and Charlie took their seats in the stands while the other two schools filled in. Delia waved to Aleksander, who was sitting in the next stand over with the rest of the Durmstrang boys. Once everyone was settled, Dumbledore welcomed the students to the third and final task and explained the rules. Cedric and Harry would enter first, then Krum, and finally Fleur. The order was delegated by their scores in the previous tasks, Harry and Cedric being tied for first. The champions would then make their way through the maze, undergoing a series of obstacles until finally, one would reach the Triwizard Cup, making him or her the winner. Filch blasted the cannon abruptly, signaling for Harry and Cedric to enter.

They sat in the stands for what seemed like hours, until finally, Harry appeared in front of the maze, grasping the cup. The entire student body stood, cheering and waving, trying to get down to the grass to congratulate Potter. However, they were ordered to stay in the stands. The music died and the crowd calmed down, murmuring quietly in confusion, when suddenly, someone wailed.

"What's going on?" Val asked nobody in particular. John jumped, trying to see over peoples' heads.

"I can't tell. I could see two people on the ground and a lot of professors. Maybe it was a tie?" he suggested. But then, there was a yell for Cedric's father. Not a happy, congratulatory yell. A grave, panicked one. Professor Moody rushed away, ushering someone in the direction of the castle. Madame Pomfrey and Hagrid led a distressed Mr. Diggory inside as well. The students erupted into a panic, shouting frantically and trying to get down from the rafters.

"SILENCE!" Professor Dumbledore roared. "There has been a terrible, terrible accident… A student has been killed." There was a collective gasp from the audience. "Please, calmly follow your Heads of Houses and Headmasters to your dwellings. You are to remain there for the rest of the evening."

Professor Flitwick was immediately lost in the crowd, so he shot up a trail of blue sparks from his wand to share his location with his Ravenclaws. Cordelia glanced desperately at Aleksander, who was being forced in the opposite direction by his peers. Krum and Fleur could be seen in front of the maze, anxiously searching for their Headmasters. Aleksander broke from his group to grab Krum by the arm and point Fleur in the direction of the Beauxbatons students. Then, all three were lost in the crowd. The Ravenclaws followed Flitwick quietly to their common room.

"Students, students, please," Flitwick called in a tiny voice over the anxious voices.

"SHUT IT!" Val yelled. Immediately, the common room was silenced.

"Thank you, Valerie," the professor responded. "Please, you are to remain in the common room for the rest of the evening. At the final feast, Professor Dumbledore will explain everything. You are all safe in here. Now, get a good nights rest."

As the students quietly filed into the Great Hall for the final feast, they were only slightly surprised to find that their House banners hand been turned black. Dumbledore was already waiting at the front of the Hall, standing behind his podium. By this time, the news of Cedric Diggory's death had circled the entire school. The Hufflepuffs sat at their table, sad but united, having transfigured their ties to be black rather than the usual yellow. The students took their seats silently, waiting to hear what Dumbledore had to say. He cleared his throat.

" _There is much that I would like to say to you all tonight, but first I must acknowledge the loss of a very fine person, who should be sitting here," he gestured toward the Huffelpuffs, "enjoying our feast with us. I would like you all, please, to stand, and raise you glasses, to Cedric Diggory."_

 _"Cedric was a person who exemplified many of the qualities that distinguish Huffelpuff house. He was a good and loyal friend, a hard worker, he valued fair play. His death has affected you all, whether you knew him well or not. I think you have the right, therefore, to know exactly how it came about."_

 _"Cedric Diggory was murdered by Lord Voldemort."_

 _"The Ministry of Magic," Dumbledore continued, "does not wish me to tell you this. It is possible that some of your parents will be horrified that I have done so – either because they will not believe that Lord Voldemort has returned, or because they think I should not tell you so, young as you are. It is my belief, however, that the truth is generally preferable to lies, and that any attempt to pretend that Cedric died as the result of an accident, or some sort of blunder of his own, is an insult to his memory."_

 _"Every guest in this Hall," said Dumbledore, and his eyes lingered upon the Durmstrang students, "will be welcomed back here at any time, should they wish to come. I say to you all, once again - in the light of Lord Voldemort's return, we are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided. Lord Voldemort's gift for spreading discord and enmity is very great. We can fight it only by showing an equally strong bond of friendship and trust. Differences of habit and language are nothing at all if our aims are identical and our hearts are open._

 _"It is my belief - and never have I so hoped that I am mistaken - that we are all facing dark and difficult times. Some of you in this Hall have already suffered directly at the hands of Lord Voldemort. Many of your families have been torn asunder. A week ago, a student was taken from our midst._

 _"Remember Cedric. Remember, if the time should come when you have to make a choice between what is right and what is easy, remember what happened to a boy who was good, and kind, and brave, because he strayed across the path of Lord Voldemort. Remember Cedric Diggory."_

Cordelia wiped her eyes as the students repeated, "Remember Cedric Diggory." Aleksander placed a hand on her back in comfort. The food appeared on the golden plates in front of them as they took their seats once again, and every dug in. It was a quiet feast, the quietest Cordelia could remember. There was much more food left over than usual as well. She noticed over on the Hufflepuff table, they had filled a plate with what she assumed were Cedric's favorites in a sort of memorial to him.

Their last day at Hogwarts had finally arrived. Cordelia woke early that morning, getting dressed silently and following her friends down to the Entrance Courtyard. It had come time for the Durmstrang and Beauxbatons students to leave, and she was not ready to say goodbye to Aleksander- even if it was only for a few weeks. As soon as she stepped outside, Delia was enveloped in a strong hug.

"We do not have much time," Aleksander said quietly into her ear. "Please be safe while I am away. I will write to you."

"I'll see you in July," she told him. "I love you!"

"I love you too," he responded, kissing her as long as he could before he was called away. He turned and waved before getting onto the ship, then disappeared inside. Cordelia joined her friends, then retreated inside to gather their things.

"What a year," Val said as she plopped down into a Ravenclaw couch one last time.

"I can't believe we're all done," Delia sighed. "In a couple weeks, you'll all be starting your training for you real world jobs."

"And you'll be off travelling the world with your perfect pro-athlete boyfriend," Catherine laughed.

Delia grinned. "After spending three weeks at my dad's, that is. I know he'll have me working my butt off for some reason or another."

"Excited to start work at the Ministry, Val?" Charlie asked.

She nodded. "I'm a little nervous, but also really excited. I'm being trained by this man called Kingsley Shacklebolt… Sounds very intense." Val was becoming an Auror, Catherine was taking over one of her parents' broom shops in Diagon Alley, Charlie was going to work at Gringotts, and John was off to work with dragons. It was hard for Delia to imagine not being able to see her friends every day, but she was happy that when she returned from travelling, she would be close to Catherine and Charlie.

"We should get packing," Delia said quietly. The girls headed up to their dormitory, bidding goodbye to the boys. As they walked in the room, Cordelia gave one last, long glance. Memories came flooding back. There was a burn in the ceiling from after the Yule Ball, when she, Catherine, and Val came back upstairs tipsy and set off a small box of fireworks the Weasley twins had given them. The curtains on Val's bed had a red stain on them from back in their second year, when she and Delia were throwing Every Flavor Beans at each other, and one stuck to her drapes. Cordelia's mirror had a small crack from when she was practicing Wingardium Leviosa as a first year and sent a book flying into her vanity. She would miss that place, but she knew new, exciting memories would be made in the years to come.

* * *

A/N I got nostalgic writing this! I wanted to make it relatable, like moving out of your childhood home and into your first place, or graduating high school and leaving your friends and family for college. It's bittersweet, but important to keep moving forward.


	7. Chapter 7

The train ride home went by faster than normal, much to the disappointment of Cordelia and her friends. When the train arrived at Platform 9 ¾, her father was waiting to bring her to Massachusetts. Cordelia said a heartfelt goodbye to her friends, then followed her dad to a secluded spot to disapparate. After the momentary discomfort, they arrived in the living room of her dad's beach cottage in the wizarding community called Quahog Cove. Their old golden retriever, Jesse, lifted his head lazily at their arrival. Delia's dad, Sutrgis, sent her luggage flying up the stairs to her room.

"It's great to have you back here," he said, giving her a hug. "You're old enough to understand what's going on… I'm afraid things are going to change in the upcoming years. And just in case, I want you to be able to defend yourself. While you're here, I want to teach you some useful spells."

Cordelia nodded and let Shoes out of his carrier. "What kind of spells?"

"Stunning spells, jinxes, curses, protective enchantments, a Patronus- that's at the top of my list. If You-Know-Who overtakes the Ministry again, the Dementors guarding Azkaban will answer to him. Those things are nasty. I hope you'll never have to use these spells, but just in case." Sturgis led his daughter out to their backyard, which was actually a small beach. Jesse bounded after them and ran straight into the ocean. "Do you have your wand on you?"

Cordelia nodded again and took it out of her pocket.

"Ok. The charm to produce a Patronus is Expecto Patronum. Now, you're a beginner, so I don't expect you to produce a corporeal Patronus, but just sort of a glowy shield. Mine…" he muttered the incantation and a seal, glowing blue, shot out of his wand, "takes the form of a seal. When you use this spell, you have to think of the happiest thing you possibly can. Go on, give it a go."

Delia thought hard for a moment, then decided on the memory of the Yule Ball when Aleksander asked her to travel with him and told her he loved her. She said the incantation and waved her wand, and a silvery wisp floated from the end.

"Not bad for your first time," her father said. "It will be even harder when you're facing a Dementor. You'll really have to concentrate on your happiest memory. Those things suck the soul out of you. Go on, try again."

She concentrated on her first day at Hogwarts this time, thinking of meeting Val and how mystified she was by the castle. That time, a large, glowing shield burst from the end of her wand.

"Much better!" her dad shouted. "By the time you leave, you'll have mastered this. Try again."

They spent the next three weeks practicing tirelessly, until Delia could disarm and hex her dad in one swift movement. She had finally produced a corporeal Patronus- it took the shape of a large, shaggy dog, one that looked very much like Jesse. After one particularly grueling training session the night before she shipped off to see Aleksander, Cordelia and Sturgis sat exhausted at a dinner table in a bustling restaurant near the water.

"You know, it's been great having you home again. I don't think we'll be able to do this many more times," her father said sadly. Delia glanced up at him over her plate.

"What, go out to dinner?" she asked, knowing full well what he actually meant.

"Go out to dinner, go out in public… Keep in contact with each other. I've been talking to some of the old Order members- they're discussing going into hiding soon. I've never told you this before, but I'm an unregistered Animagus."

"What?" Cordelia burst, nearly choking on her dinner. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want you going out and trying it. It's extremely dangerous and highly illegal to do it the way I did. I didn't want you to think it was ok," he told her. "But after you leave for your trip, I'll be putting every protective enchantment I know on the house and taking my animal form. I advise you do the same when you move into your new place. Keeps Shoes close to you- he's a Kneazel. He'll keep you safe."

"He is? What else haven't you told me?" Delia demanded.

"That you come from a directlineofverydarkwizards," he said very quickly, trying to muffle the last few words. Delia stared at him blankly. "Erm, well… Your mother was a Prince. A very well-known Pureblood family. Her parents and brothers and sisters were all in Slytherin and were very obvious supporters of Voldemort- some were even Death Eaters. Her father, your grandfather… He was, possibly is, a werewolf. He was turned a few years after your mother was born. Fenrir Greyback sought him out and bit him in an attempt to recruit him to the army of werewolves he was curating in support of You-Know-Who. Greyback preyed on children, which was the point at which your grandfather decided he would not follow anyone who supported that. So, he and your mother went on the run. His wife and other children were- are- still very strong supporters of the Dark Lord. Your mother then joined the Order of the Pheonix, where she met me, and we fell in love. To prove his alliance to Voldemort, your mother's brother found and killed her… Your grandfather could possibly still be alive somewhere, though."

"Why are you telling me all this now?" Delia asked. Her father had always just told her her mother had been killed by Death Eaters. What was his reasoning for just now telling her the truth?

"I think you- we- are in danger. Greyback has been spotted recently, and it seems like he is trying to rebuild his army. Which means he is probably looking for you grandfather. He will try and hunt you down, whether it is to use you for information or to take you as bait to reel in your grandfather. You _need_ to be careful. Don't do anything to draw attention to yourself. Lay low."

"I don't know anything about Grandpa though. Does he even know I exist?" Delia asked.

"He does. You met him as a baby. But, Greyback doesn't know that you don't know anything about him. We could have been hiding him in our basement for the past twenty years, for all he knows," Sturgis explained.

"I guess you're right," Delia sighed. "What about this Order?"

"I'm not too sure what's happening with that yet… I think the few remaining members who are in stable condition are returning. But there aren't many of us left. I'll make sure you're in the loop, though. Don't believe what you read in the Prophet. The Ministry is trying to pretend this isn't happening."

"I already knew _that_ ," she told her dad. "I just can't believe this is all actually happening…"

"I can," Sturgis sighed. "I'm just glad you're old enough to defend yourself now that it actually _is_ happening."

"So… What form do you take as an animagus?" Delia asked curiously.

Her dad grinned. "I was waiting for you to ask! A yellow lab."

"So you can keep Jesse company?" She grinned at the thought.

"Exactly. And, it's inconspicuous."

As they finished their dinner, Sturgis answered all of Cordelia's questions and even asked some of his own- mostly about Aleksander. They went home after getting some ice cream, and then Cordelia did some last minute packing before climbing into bed after a long day. The next morning, she woke up at six to catch her portkey. After saying goodbye to her dad, she took hold of the glowing blue mirror and flew away, landing safely on the ground not a minute later.

Delia squinted at the bright sun and adjusted the backpack that had been nearly thrown off her body when she landed. Before she could even fully adjust to the light, someone nearly tackled her to the ground.

"What-" she started to protest, but was cut off by a hard, loving kiss. The scruff against her chin, the giant hand in her hair and the other on her behind- it was definitely Aleksander. She relaxed upon recognizing him and let him wrap her up in his arms.

"I missed you so much!" he exclaimed in his familiar accent after puling away. "I can't believe I get to spend the rest of summer with you!"

"I missed you too," she told him. "I have some important things to tell you…"

"What? Is everything ok?" he asked nervously.

"Yeah, sort of… Don't worry- it's nothing to do with you and me. I just… I just found out some stuff about my family."

His nervous expression turned to one of concern. "Is your father ok?"

"Yeah, he's fine. It's just- can we go somewhere more private?" As her eyes adjusted, she could see that they were surrounded by tents, families of wizards emerging from them to eat breakfast.

Aleksander nodded. "Yes, I will show you our tent," he told her with a grin.

" _Our_ tent? Do we get our own?" Cordelia asked excitedly, her anxiety melting away. Aleksander nodded happily.

"You will love it. My mother helped decorate it. She made it much more… how do you say… homely."

Delia giggled. "I think you mean _homey_." Aleksander shrugged before taking her hand and leading her through the field, passing by hundreds of tents filled with Quidditch fanatics. Even the smallest tents had six or seven wizards sitting outside of them, gathered around a fire wearing their best robes and making bets about the upcoming game.

"There are so many people here," Cordelia mused.

"This is nothing compared to the World Cup, which I am sure you will get to see since we are doing the best we have ever done!" Aleksander told her proudly. "And I am sure that we will only do better now that you are with me."

They walked for a few more minutes before they finally arrived at a tent right outside the stadium. "Here we are," he said, pulling back the canopy door and gesturing inside. Cordelia stooped through the doorway, her jaw dropping as she took a look around. She had been in magic tents before, but none like this. The place was as big as a house- there was a full kitchen, sitting room, bedroom, and bathroom. The sitting room was complete with a small fireplace, couch, and bookcase with leather-bound books. She put down the cat carrier she was holding Shoes in and dropped her backpack to the floor before running and jumping onto the bed. "This is amazing!" she shouted. Aleksander laughed.

"I am glad you like it so much," he said, closing the door flap. "What was it that you needed to tell me?"

"Oh," Delia sat up on the bed. "Well, I guess I'll start off by telling you that my dad thinks You-Know-Who has returned."

"I know that is true. Karkaroff disappeared after the Tournament. He used to be one of his followers, but he betrayed him. Now he is on the run somewhere," Aleksander explained, taking a seat next to her on the bed.

"Well, if that's the case, I'll have to go on the run. My dad told me that he is a part of a group of wizards plotting against Voldemort and my grandfather is possibly alive and being hunted by Fenrir Greyback," she blurted out. She knew it didn't make sense, but she had to lay it all on the table.

"Wait," Aleksander said pensively, "what?"

Delia sighed. "Apparently, I'm a direct descendant of a long line of pureblood, dark wizards. But my grandfather saw the light after being turned into a werewolf, ironically, and was forced into hiding. My mother joined the Order of the Phoenix after she left Hogwarts, where she met my dad, and then they had me. A few years later, my mom's brother killed her to prove his alliance to the Dark Lord. Anyway, Greyback wants my grandfather either dead or on his side, and my dad thinks he may hunt me down for information or to use me as bait to lure in my grandfather."

"If you have to go, I am going with you," Aleksander stated firmly.

Delia shook her head. "No. You can't leave your family- they would be devastated."

"But I want to be there for you. I want to make sure you are safe," he pleaded.

"Aleksander," she sighed. "I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself. The whole time I was with my dad, he was training me."

"I know you are. You are amazing. But… won't you get lonely? And just imagine how helpless I will be without you," he said. She smiled weakly.

"Fine," she gave in. "But we don't even know if this is going to happen yet. Maybe this will all blow over…" Shoes jumped into the bed and rubbed his head against Aleksander's arm. "Oh! I also found out that Shoes is a Kneazle."

"One of those cats that can tell a friend from an enemy?" Aleksander asked. Delia nodded. "Well, I am very glad he likes me, then." He scratched Shoes' head. Delia thought for a moment about telling Aleksander that her dad was an animagus, but opted not to just in case…. the fewer people that knew about that, the better.

"My family is here," Aleksander announced after a minute or two of silence. "My mother is cooking us dinner tonight. They are leaving tomorrow after my match."

"I finally get to meet them?" Cordelia asked excitedly. Aleksander nodded.

"I think we have a little catching up to do before you get to, though." He smirked; Delia laughed and gave him a light peck on the lips.

"I missed you," she whispered.

"I missed you, too," he responded just as quietly. "I am so happy I get to spend the rest of the summer with you."

* * *

A/N WOW! A lot of backstory in this one. This is where the story is really gonna start moving. Get excited!


	8. Chapter 8

Aleksander and Cordelia spent their first morning reunited in bed, talking about their summers so far. Aleksander explained that Bulgaria was undefeated, and that season had been the best he'd ever played despite having to take time off for the Tournament. Cordelia told him how she learned to produce a Patronus _and_ cook on a muggle grill, which Aleksander had never seen before. Just before the sun set, Aleksander led Delia a few tents down to the one his family was staying in. Out in front, his little brother and sister were running around, chasing down a Golden Snitch.

"That is my little sister, Iliana, and my brother, Grigor. She is eight and he is eleven," Aleksander told Cordelia as the reached the kids. Once they noticed him walking over, the pair bombarded their older brother with hugs. Grigor looked like a mini Aleksander, but Iliana looked slightly different. Her facial features were less harsh than the boys, and her eyes a warmer hazel rather than the cool brown her brothers shared. She looked absolutely thrilled to see Delia.

"Is this her?" she asked frantically, tugging on Aleksander's sleeve. "Is this the girl you told us about?" Delia smiled warmly at the thought of Aleksander telling his family about her.

He nodded. "Guys, this is Delia. Delia, these are my little siblings."

"It's so nice to finally meet you guys, I've heard so much about you!" Delia exclaimed as Iliana hurried from Aleksander's side to hug her.

"Did you hear that I am an even better Quidditch player than Aleksander? And also much more handsome?" Grigore asked with a broad grin. Aleksander shoved him.

"You know, he didn't mention it. I think he might've been a little embarrassed to admit it," Delia teased, smiling at her boyfriend.

"Are you magic?" Iliana asked.

Delia nodded. "I met your brother when he visited my school, Hogwarts."

A voice called out from the tent in another language. Delia glanced at Aleksander. "That is my dad. He said it is dinner time."

Cordelia's heart began pounding when he led her into the tent. "Why do you look so nervous?" he asked quietly.

"What if they don't like me?" Delia worried. "What if they think I'm not good enough for you?"

"Delia, please. Relax. They will love you," he reassured her. "I have already told them so much about you. You are _too_ good for me. Just be yourself- they are not hard people to get along with."

Aleksander was not wrong. Upon entering the tent, his mother kissed Delia on both cheeks and his father engulfed her in a bone-crushing hug. They were much warmer and friendlier than Delia had expected, only knowing the cold, serious Bulgarians that had come to Hogwarts for the Tournament. She sat down at the dinner table next to Aleksander and his father immediately started piling steaming hot food onto her plate. Her anxiety disappeared, and she felt herself flood with relief and comfort. Dinner went even better than she could have expected. Aleksander's parents asked all sorts of questions about Delia's family, Hogwarts, and her future, and told her countless embarrassing stories from Aleksander's childhood. When it was time for the kids to go to sleep, Delia almost wasn't ready to leave- _almost._ But, she remembered that Aleksander had mentioned buying a bottle of fancy wine as a sort of housewarming/I missed you present. So, they hugged his parents goodbye, thanked them for a beautiful evening, and happily trotted back the way to break into that bottle.

As they crossed the threshold, Shoes hurried over and circled their feet in greeting. Delia scratched his head then took a seat on the couch, conjuring up a fire. "Tonight was amazing," she said happily. Aleksander joined her on the couch, a glass of wine for each of them in hand.

"And to think, you were so worried they would not like you!" he teased. Delia laughed.

"Well, I was wrong. Your parents are lovely people and wonderful cooks." She took a sip of wine.

"Do you know what, Cordelia Podmore?" he asked.

"What?" She turned to face him.

"I am absolutely in love with you."

"Well, that's very convenient, because I, too, am absolutely in love with you," she replied, kissing him lightly.

The rest of the summer was spent travelling to large, empty fields all over the globe, packing and unpacking and packing again. Sturgis wrote to Cordelia a few times, but his letters were brief and vague. He was terrified they were being watched. Val and Catherine, on the other hand, wrote her at least once a week in great detail about their new jobs and love lives. They seemed to be having a great time, but were excited for the summer to end.

Delia grew closer to Aleksander's family than she ever thought she would. They ended up coming to most of his matches because the team was having such a good season. His parents treated her like one of their own and were thrilled to see their son so happy. After dinner one night, as Delia was helping his mother with the dishes, she looked over to make sure Aleksander was in deep conversation with his father before leaning in to whisper to Cordelia.

"You know, zat boy has never smiled as much in his whole life as he has this summer. You two have something very special," she told Delia.

"You really think so, Emiliya?" Delia asked with a grin. She had asked for Delia to call her by her first name the second time they had dinner together.

"Of course," she said. "It reminds me very much of my husband and I ven ve vere your age." That thought comforted Delia. Emiliya and her husband, Dragomir, were still very much in love and seemed to have the kind of relationship everyone yearned for. The embarrass your kids, can't keep your hands off each other, still as in love as the day we met kind of relationship.

"If we end up anything like you two, I would be the happiest girl in the world," Delia said. Emiliya pulled her in to a tight hug.

"I am so happy Aleksander found you. I am going to miss you while you are back home, but I wish you luck with your new job."

Later that night, Aleksander and Delia were lying in bed, discussing what was going to happen after the World Cup the next week.

"I'm going to go back and stay with my grandparents for a while, until I get situated at Ollivander's. Hopefully, I can get a place of my own after a bit. Or maybe Catherine will want a roommate…" Delia thought out loud.

"What if we got a place together?" Aleksander suggested. "You stay with your grandparents for a little while and I'll go out and look for something. That way, you would not have to worry about the money. I could take care of it."

"Would you really want to do that? You don't think we'd be rushing things?" she asked warily.

"Delia, we have been together for a while now. I know I am in love with you. We did a very good job living together in this tiny tent. Imagine how good we would be at living in a real home together!" he exclaimed. Aleksander looked ecstatic at the thought of this. "We could get a dog!"

Delia laughed. "Ok, ok! I'll do it. But let me help out with the money."

"We will see," he sighed, kissing her on the cheek. Her heart fluttered as she imagined having her own place with the one she loved. If only they wouldn't have to abandon it all so quickly…


End file.
